Looking Back

 My year in review: one second a day. 

And what a year it was!

So much beauty, love, and joy to be found in such a tumultuous year.

If the video doesn't pop up, here is the link:

2020:One Second a Day

Happy New Year to each of you!

❤️

I recommend this app to everyone. It's such a fun way to remember your year...

and to keep an eye out for the moment you want to remember in each of your days. 

I'd love to see the New Year through your eyes!

Merry, Merry

“What is Christmas?

It is tenderness for the past,

courage for the present,

hope for the future.

It is a fervent wish

that every cup may overflow

with blessings rich and eternal,

and that every path 

may lead to peace."

~Agnes M. Pharo

Sending these good wishes to each of you

 from the bottom of our hearts.

❤️

Happy Holidays

Holiday Greetings, All! I flew back on Monday. Yes, it was more difficult to leave than ever. But, it is good to be here for Christmas. One step at at time, I will be transitioning to flipping things and making my home base over there. I will alway have my heart in two places, no matter which continent I am on. Han is planning on joining us here next month for a while, so that is exciting and will be a shorter separation for us than usual. 

Besides wanting to be with my mom and kids right now, I needed to come home for my first three month check with the oncologist. I had blood tests and met with him yesterday and got the great news that everything looks good. What a relief. If all continues to go well, I will continue to feel good and check in with him again in the spring. I had a lot of fear over this first visit so it is the best feeling to have it behind me and to get back to focusing on happier things!

To that end, I wanted to share some highlights from the last month. We were so touched by all the cards and flowers that arrived in celebration of our marriage. 

Such thoughtfulness from so many (with such short notice!).We loved this special gift that Han's sister, Gitte, made for us:

And this wonderful surprise from my mom and kids (with a hand-drawn card by Zack) that we'll do when in the spring or summer! They might even take off from the Mill!

Everything was so nice, it made it hard to leave for the little honeymoon we had planned in the east side of Holland. But we stuck with our plans and stayed at this "gezellig" Airbnb in the town of Leuvenheim (about 90 minutes away).

It was a beautiful space above an old pigsty.

This was the view across from it. So peaceful and pretty.

I loved this window.

It was very close to one of the oldest cities in Holland: Zutphen (founded in the 11th century!)

It was so charming. 

Many things were closed due to the virus but their public library was open and was just stunning.

We also took a walk in the nearby woods and were surprised when a lady in an electric wheelchair came out of nowhere and zoomed right by us!

We wound up our trip with an afternoon in the walled city of Amersfoort (which became a city in 1259!). 

We could spend days here. We both really loved it.

It felt like we were in a real life Disney set!

Then it was back to the Mill.

Home Sweet Home

 

The day after we returned, Han went to work at KLM for the last time (after two decades of working there). Now he can spend full time at the Mill, focusing on his property, rentals, hosting, and being a Miller. With a little golf thrown in for good measure!

We celebrated Sinterklaas Day at his parents. So fun to be introduced to new customs (rhymes for gifts, oliballen, Sinterklaas who comes from Spain by ship, etc...) and to be together during this time of the year for the first time.

We also celebrated my (54th!) Birthday while I was here.

Lots of celebrating this trip!

We worked on the Liefke, our houseboat,

which will be ready for guests by summertime. 

It is soooo gezellig (one of my favorite Dutch words!).

Love this photo taken from a friend's boat on the canal (on a super misty morning).

We went Christmas shopping in Alkmaar. 

Most stores were open to people with masks on and just a few people in at a time.

This cozy place is one of our favorites.

The day before I flew home...and after weeks of not being able to figure out where the chickens had been laying their eggs, we finally discovered them. All 41 of them! It cracked me up that as I went to take this picture, the hen came up to inspect what was going on.

Oh...and I have to add a few photos from the weekend before our wedding when Han was "kidnapped" by some friends for a bachelor party. They know him well and came up with a plan right up his alley. He was a good sport, all dressed up for the day! :)

In the midst of so many challenges....

all this celebrating felt that much sweeter.

I didn't expect to want to remember much from 2020,

but now, of course, that has changed. 

And even looking back at the year as a whole, 

there really were so many 

sweet moments amidst the hard ones. 

I think that may be the biggest, deepest take away: 

that both are present....often at the very same time. 

And in the moments that do feel most dark...

you can count on beautiful ones around the corner, 

that you may never have seen coming.

Wishing each of you all the best

as we wind up this crazy year:

and many sweet moments in the new one.

Here's to being able to share big hugs in 2021!

❤️

Han & Kelly Kuijper, 25/11/2020

We did it! It couldn't have been a more beautiful day. Literally: after days of cloudiness, the sun was shining and we felt such love and support from family, friends, and the universe! 

We were really lucky to have the registrar come to us, so that we could marry here at the Mill.

k

It made it extra meaningful.

It was wonderful to be surrounded by family (Han's in person and mine in our hearts)...and we look forward to bringing everyone together for a big celebration when the world opens back up again!

Han had put the blades of his Mill in the "joy" position to celebrate our big day. The position of the mill blades are an old form of "sign language" in Holland. We were so surprised and moved to find out that the other four mills in Alkmaar had also set their blades in "joy" in honor of  our marriage. So touching!!

I've made a little slideshow of our big day. 

Here is the video link if it’s not popping up for you:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?app=desktop&feature=youtu.be&v=iw8Z0Vu1yi4

Hartelijk bedankt for your love and support...

and for sharing in our happiness!

❤️

Happy News!

We’ve had to jump through a million hoops, but found out on Tuesday at Alkmaar’s City Hall....that all of our paperwork is in order and: we will be getting married here in the Mill on November 25th! In Dutch we are officially “in ondertrouw”. You need to wait fifteen days from that filing and we have nine left to go. Due to these crazy times, it will be a tiny ceremony, with only Han’s immediate family here with us. I so wish my family and friends (and of course, especially my mom and kids) could be here, too. But the plan is to host a big celebration here at the mill as soon as the world opens back up again!

We are so happy to share this news....and to be ending this indescribably intense year on such a high note.

Although we wish you could all be here, we know you will be here in spirit and your loving energy will be a part of our special day from wherever you are in the world! 💞

So, next Wednesday 

at 2:30pm(AMS)/6:30am(PST) 

if you feel a little jolt of happy energy-

you’ll know exactly what it’s all about.💫